I've just received an Ulmus americana 'Princeton' in a five gallon pot
which is cutting grown and beginning its second season of growth. I
know that this is a very long term project (one of many that I have)
but I am curious if anyone has successfully cultivated this tree for
bonsai.


Terry Robbins - Upstate NY - Zone 4/5


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On May 10, 2005, at 3:39 PM, Terry Robbins wrote:

I've just received an Ulmus americana 'Princeton' in a five gallon pot
which is cutting grown and beginning its second season of growth. I
know that this is a very long term project (one of many that I have)
but I am curious if anyone has successfully cultivated this tree for
bonsai.


Terry Robbins - Upstate NY - Zone 4/5



I have a small one (collected, not a cultivar) that I got at a club
auction in Maine three years ago. It has gained a great deal in
thickness during that time. It started out at about 3/8" and it has a
fat base (from being in a shallow pot) and the trunk just above the
base is about 3/4" now.

I don't know when it will be ready for styling, but it's fun to watch
it grow.

Craig Cowing
NY
Zone 5b/6a Sunset 37

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Terry Robbins sent:

I've just received an Ulmus americana 'Princeton' in a five gallon pot ...
but I am curious if anyone has successfully cultivated this tree for
bonsai.

I can't imagine the leaves would ever reduce well enough. My experience in
Texas is Ulmus Americana and Ulmus elliphino (Cedar Elm and Winged Elm). The
latter is difficult to tell from Chinese Elm and is often sold as such and
the leaves are already only an inch or two long. American Elm down here has
4 inch leaves!

My 2 cents anyway...would love to hear of a success and just how tall said
bonsai is :)

John
in Houston

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Ulmus americana does have large leaves, but they can
reduce. However, other elms are a better choice for bonsai.
By the way, Ulmus americana is not cedar elm. Cedar elm
is Ulmus crassifolia. And winged elm is Ulmus alata, unless the
arbiters of taxonomy have been shuffling things around again.
Alan Walker
http://bonsai-bci.com http://LCBSBonsai.org


-----Original Message-----
Terry Robbins sent:

I've just received an Ulmus americana 'Princeton' in a five
gallon pot ...
but I am curious if anyone has successfully cultivated this tree
for
bonsai.
From: John T. Jarrett
I can't imagine the leaves would ever reduce well enough. My
experience in Texas is Ulmus Americana and Ulmus elliphino (Cedar
Elm and Winged Elm). The latter is difficult to tell from Chinese
Elm and is often sold as such and the leaves are already only an
inch or two long. American Elm down here has 4 inch leaves!

My 2 cents anyway...would love to hear of a success and just how
tall said bonsai is :)
John in Houston

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On May 10, 2005, at 22:11, John T. Jarrett wrote:
I can't imagine the leaves would ever reduce well enough.

Leaf reduction is the big question in my mind. We've several denizens
of this cultivator that we have planted out as landscape trees in the
past few years. As they mature the leaves are indeed in the 4-6" range.
They are quick growers in the right circumstances. The second year
after they are established they can grow up to four feet in height in
one season. Caliper increases rapidly in the ground. This is of course
in our area.

I have also worked with Ulmus americana 'Liberty' with similar results.
I planted one of these as a landscape tree on our farm about 13 years
ago and it has now reached about a seven inch caliper about three feet
above the ground and is probably close to fifty feet in height. It is
thriving. But the leaves are typical. We also have a couple survivors
of DED here on the farm, one of which is over three feet in
circumference and probably close to a hundred years of age or more.
After all that it took a lightening strike last summer and now has an
incredible 50 foot long scare down it's trunk. From a distance it is a
classic vase shape that can be imagined as a bonsai.

I have a collected americana seedling from around ten years ago growing
in the front yard of my house which is over 30' this spring.

I also have a couple Ulmus parvifola 'Corticosa' which I am tending and
a couple Ulmus parvovla 'Hokaido' that I've recently acquired and am
enjoying tremendously.

I'm not aware of any stories of any successful cultivation of the
American Elm as bonsai though. I intend to play with this to see what
happens but would welcome other's experiences.

Terry Robbins - Upstate NY - Zone 4/5


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I have a few young Cedar Elm. The leaves are about the same size as Chinese
Elm. The bark is the only significant difference. I have seen American Elm as
a Bonsai . the leaves were very large. The fall color was very intense which
made this tree interesting as a bonsai.

SteveW
Long Island NY


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Elms are great to work with. I have a few Chinese Elm. I have Seiju which
has tiny leaves. The cork bark which I think is called Niri. I also purchased a
few Cedar Elm , one of which appears to be a Winged Elm , and Yatzebutza,
which also has very tiny leaves. I have tried Haikkado but have had little
success. I was advised that Haikkado requires very cold winter temps to do well.
Seiju is my favorite I think. It buds back nicely when pinched and has very
small leaves.

SteveW
Long Island NY

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